Intel’s Arc lineup of graphics cards is one of the most impressive first-generation products. While users have experienced their fair share of issues with the Arc lineup, many have expressed their support for Team Blue entering the GPU market. With new leaks around the horizon, let’s look at what we know about Intel’s next-gen Arc GPU lineup, codenamed Battlemage.
New Test Tools Surface For Intel Battlemage GPUs
The latest leak related to the rumored Intel Battlemage Arc GPU lineup was spotted on Intel’s own Design-In Tools website. This store sells tools used for validation, platform testing, debugging, etc. to Intel’s partners. They offer these tools for products that already exist, but also for future products.
The new test tools were spotted by a Korean hardware enthusiast (Twitter/@harukaze5719), who mentioned in a tweet that these tools are for two future Intel Battlemage GPU variants: BMG-X2 & BMG-X3. You can find the BGA2362-BMG-X2 Interposer here, as well as the BGA2727-BMG-X3-6CH interposer.
Do keep in mind these are not the actual product names. They are just references to the rumored graphics processor, which could be used in future Intel Arc Battlemage GPUs. So, what does this latest leak tell us regarding Intel’s rumored successor to the Arc Alchemist series (includes GPUs like the Arc A770 & A750), known as Battlemage?
Looking at the testing tool for BMG-X3, the socket featured is BGA-2727. Comparing this socket to the one used on the highest-end Intel Arc GPU currently available, which is the Arc A770, the new socket is slightly larger. This leak gives us a sneak peek into the initial chip design from Intel for future Intel Arc GPUs. Although, it should be noted that there is no confirmation if this is the final design.
Still, if Intel is going in this route, it means they are currently experimenting with a bigger die size for future Arc GPUs, part of the upcoming Intel Battlemage GPU lineup. A bigger die size doesn’t necessarily mean a bigger graphics processor on the inside. While that could be the case, a design choice like this could also be related to altering the heat spreader’s size.
When Will New Intel Battlemage GPUs Come Out?
Intel’s next-gen Arc GPUs are not expected to launch anytime soon this year. Instead, the recent leaks point to a Q2 2024 release date. We could see it a bit earlier, but development issues are leading to a ‘very uncertain future‘. The renowned hardware leaker Moore’s Law Is Dead shared some interesting details related to Intel’s Battlemage Arc graphics. This includes when it could come out, in addition to a few details on the specs. These include the memory bandwidth, size, and type (the leak suggests GDDR6X on the top-end variants). You can have a look at these below:
Intel has continued to push driver updates for older Arc GPUs and provided extensive support to its user base. We also interviewed the chip designer behind Intel Arc Graphics (Raja Koduri), who has since left the company, but Intel’s continued support of Arc has me feeling somewhat confident about the future of Intel’s dedicated graphics business. Many people are pumped about Team Blue’s future graphics card lineup. It will surely be exciting to witness what they’ve been working on so far.
Will you be considering the upcoming Intel Arc Battlemage GPUs? What GPU brand do you like the most? Let us know in the comments below. By the way, you can have a look at our comparison of Intel’s XeSS technology against Nvidia’s DLSS & AMD’s FSR to see which is the best.
